Griffith, Watson and Caesar among newest N.C. Music Hall inductees

The N.C. Music Hall has announced its newest class (Class of '10). These pioneers will be honored in October in Kannapolis as the newest members of the Music Hall.

Among the honorees are Andy Griffith, Doc Watson, Shriley Caesar and Donna Fargo.

The induction ceremony will be held October 7 at the Core Labratory Building on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. The N.C. Music Hall opened there in 2009.


N.C. Music Hall Class of 2010
Performing Artists:
Maurice Williams, recording artist, Charlotte
Andy Griffith, gospel recording artist, Mount Airy/Wilmington
Donna Fargo, country recording artist, Mount Airy
Arthur Smith, country composer, performer, producer, Charlotte
George Hamilton IV, country recording artist, Winston-Salem
Doc Watson, country/bluegrass vocalist, musician, Deep Gap/North Wilkesboro
Curly Seckler, bluegrass vocalist and musician, China Grove
Dr. Bill Taylor, jazz pianist, composer, Greenville
Shirley Caesar, gospel recording artist, Durham

Deceased:
Don Gibson, country recording artist and composer, Shelby
Les Brown, Big Band leader, Durham
Oliver (William Oliver Swofford), recording artist, North Wilkesboro

Non-Performing Artists:
Don Schlitz, composer, guitarist and soloist, Durham

Bill Leslie on the Hometown Opry

WRAL stalwart Bill Leslie writes about North Wilkesboro's "Hometown Opry" on his Carolina Conversations blog.

"Doc Watson has played there. So has Ricky Skaggs and many others. If you're into bluegrass music I would suggest a trip to North Wilkesboro some Friday morning to Minton Pawn & Music Company downtown," writes Leslie.

"Every Friday morning at 7:00 A.M. pickers and grinners gather for a two hour back porch bluegrass session. It's free and tons of fun."

There's even a multimedia, black-and-white slideshow of the opry here. Definitely worth checking out.